Controlling mechanism for fluids or gases under pressure.



Patented Oct. l7, I899.

No. 635,127. I

c. cummmas.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR FLUIDS 0R GASES UNDER PRESSURE.

(Application filed Sept. 29, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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CHARLES CUMMINGS, OF'OAIILAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PNEIL MATIO rowan COMPANY, on SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA;

l CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR FLUIDS OR GASES UNDER PRESSURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 635,127, dated October 17, I899.

Application filed September 29,1898. Serial No. 692,155. (No model.)

To 61 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES CUMMINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California,

5 have invented an Improvement in Oontr0lling Mechanism for Fluids or Gases Under Pressure; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same. I

My invention relates to the improvement of valves used in pipes conveying fluids or gases under pressure.

In operating machines by fluids or gases under pressure a main pipe or pipes extend from the source of power, which may be of any suitable character, to any required distance. Combined with the main pipes small ones are used to connect with the motors to be actuated and any number of motors may thus be attached to the main pipes and operated up to the limit of power furnished by the source. If in any plant installed for the purpose of transmitting power in this manner, consisting of a system of pipes and mo- 2 5 tors, as above described, one or more of the small pipes connecting the main pipe with the motor should by accident or otherwise become fractured, an escape of the medium transmitting the power would immediately take place,

and if the connection between the fractured pipe and the main pipe is not speedily closed not only the motor connected with the broken pipe, but the whole series, would soon become inoperative.

35, This device may be used to advantage in.

connection with that system for the transmission of power by means of compressed air which is described and illustrated in Letters Patent of the United States No. 456,941,

40 granted to me Augusta, 1898. In thatformer patent an apparatus is disclosed for transmitting power by means of compressed air or other gas or fluid circulating in a closed system at two unequal pressures. In this system the small pipe leading from the main high-pressure pipe to the motor is to be provided with my invention, the object of which is to provide a valve or device which will immediately and automatically close the opening in the main pipe in case of accidents of the kind above mentioned. I attain this chject by means of mechanism which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through my device. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

a is a pipe-section having the same diameter as that of the main conducting-pipe and provided with flanges b and bolt-holes therethrough coincident with corresponding boltholes in the similar adjacent flanges of the main pipe, so that this section may be fixed in the main pipe at any desired point. In connection with this section is my controlling mechanism, which is interposed between this section and the small pipe m, which connects the main pipe with the motor. It consists of a housing A, secured to the section a, with an opening from said section and ports or passages extending on each side of the housing intoa head with which the pipe on connects. The sides of the housing are open to allow access to the operative parts.

61 is a valve mounted upon a valve-stem e and adapted to close against a seat 01, and thus control the opening leading from the section a into the passages Z, through which the medium under pressure passes from the main to the small pipe m andthe motor. The upper end of the stem 6 carries the piston f, which is adapted to reciprocate within the small cylinder 9. The piston f is made tight by means of a cup-leather or any other-usual or suitable means for making a tight joint.

h is a stuffing-box through which the stem e passes in the lower part of the housing,

- 2' is a spring the upper end of which presses against the piston f and the lower end against an adjusting-screw 76, which is turnable in the screw-threaded not or bracket k, so that by turning the screw 70 in one direction or the other the tension of the spring i may be increased or diminished at will. The head of the screw is exposed below the bracket and is formed to receive a turning pin or wrench, by which its adjustment is effected. The tension of this spring pressing against the piston f, and thus acting through the valvestem 8, willnormally close the valve 01 upon its seat when no other force is acting to keep it open.

a is asmall pipe connecting the section a and the main pipe with the ports or passages land through these with the small pipe at, which leads to the motor.

0 is a hand-valve by which the passage in the pipe "17. is opened or closed at will. By opening this valve the fluid under pressure in the main pipe passes through the portl and pipe at to the motor, and the pressure in the pipes is thus balanced, after which the valve 0 is closed.

Other forms and construction of details which would produce an equivalent action may be employed as different conditions appear which require changes of construction without departing from the principle here involved and which is illustrated by the present construction.

The operation of the device will then be as follows: The main pipe or pipes being charged with a fluid or gas under pressure, the valve d being opened as shown, the fluid or gas passes through the ports Z from the main pipe to the pipe m, through which it reaches the motor to beactuated. Under these conditions the valve d will remain open by reason of the excess of pressure upon the piston fin the direction to keep the valve open. This excess of pressure can be made greater or less by varying the area of the piston f and also by varying the strength of the spring 2'. The proper proportions of the piston and the spring depend in any particular case upon the degree of pressure carried in'the main pipe to operate the system. The spring 2 by adjustment admits of a considerable range of pressure in the main pipe without changing the area of the pistonf. WVhen thus in operation, the pressure in the main pipe and that in the small pipe m, leading to the motor, is nearly, if not quite, equal. If through any cause the pipe m should be injured and so allow an escape of the fluid or gas from it sufflcient to make the necessary difference of pressure between that in the main pipe and that above the valve d and piston f, the valve 61 will immediately close and prevent further loss.

The difference of pressure required to work the valve d can be varied, as previously stated, by means of the spring '5 and the adjustingscrew 70. v

A gradual subsidence of the pressure in the system of pipes charged with the fluid or gas under pressure tends .to weaken the force which keeps the valve open; but if the pressure in the pipe should be reduced to that of the atmosphere the valve d would still remain open, provided the upward force of the spring z'is less than the friction of the piston f added to that of the stem 6, passing through the stu'ffing-box h. Should the valve cl close through a loss of pressure in the pipe on from any cause, accident or otherwise, it can be again opened by opening the valve 0 in the pipe m, thus again admitting the fluid from the main pipe into the apparatus and the connecting-pipe at until the pressure on the pistonf has been increased sufficiently to open the valve d, after which the hand-valve 0 must be again closed.

In the system disclosed in my former patent heretofore alluded to the protection from the loss of air in case of accident to the small pipe which leads from the motor to the main low-pressure pipe may be provided by means of an ordinary check-valve placed in the small low-pressure pipe near the main, which will effectually close the opening in the main pipe in case of accident to the small low-pressure pipe anywhere between the motor and the checlcvalve.

Where the main pipe or-pipes of a system for transmitting power of the character above described are placed in a comparatively safe position, as in a ship of war, and only the small or leading pipes are exposed to accidents, this invention affords a means for automaticallypreventing the stoppage of all the motors when an accident displaces one or more of a series which are actuated from a common source of power.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In pipes conveying gases or fluids under pressure, passages from main to supplemental pipes, valves by which said passages are controlled, a guided valve-stem having a piston fixed to its opposite end movable within a cylinder, one end of which communicates with the supplemental conveying-pipe, and the other with the open air whereby the controllingvalve remains open while the fluid is passing and is automatically closed by reduction of pressure in the supplemental pipe.

2. In an apparatus for transmitting compressed air or other gas or fluid, an automatically-operating valve interposed between the mainand supplemental conducting-pipes, a piston mounted upon the valve-stem and movable in a cylinder, one end of which is opened to pressure from the passage between the two pipes and the other to atmospheric pressure.

3. In an apparatus for transmitting compressed air or other gas or fluid under pressure, theinain pipe through which the fluid is conveyed, a supplemental pipe transmitting from the main pipe to the meter, a bal anced valve of the character described interposed between the main and supplemental pipes and adapted to close communication between the two when the pressure in the supplemental pipe is reduced, and a spring pressed piston one end of which is opened to pressure from the supplemental pipe and the other to atmospheric pressure.

4. In an apparatus for transmitting power by means of compressed air or other gas or fluid, a main conducting-pipe, a supplemental pipe transmitting the fluid from the main pipe to the motor, a valve closable against the seat between the main and supplemental pipes, a valve-stem to which said valve is connected, a piston fixed to the valve-stem and a cylinder Within which it reciproeates, said cylinder having one end open to the pressure in the supplemental pipe, and a spring pressing against the opposite end of the piston and adapted to close the valve when the pressure in the supplemental pipe is reduced.

5. In an apparatus for transmitting power I by means of compressed air or other gas or fluid, main and supplemental conductingpipes, a valve mounted upon a valve-stem and closable against a seat between the main and supplemental pipes, a piston fixed to the valve-stein, a cylinder in which said piston fits and reciprocates having oneend open to pressure from the supplemental conductingtal conducting-pipes, a valvefixed to a valvea stem and closable against a seat between the main and supplemental pipes, ports connecting the opening of the valve-seat with the supplemental pipe, a housing havingastuffing-box through which the valve-stem passes, a cylinder fixed in line therewith at the opposite end, a piston fitting and movable within said cylinder and open to pressure from the passage through which the fluid passes to the supplemental pipe, a second pipe connecting the main pipe with said passage and having a valve throughwhich the fluid may be independently transmitted from the main to the supplemental passage, a spring surrounding the valve-stem, and adapted to close the main valve when the pressure in the supplemental pipe is reduced, one end of said spring abutting against the end of the piston and an adjustable screw against which the opposite end abuts and by which the tension of the spring may be Varied.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES CUMMINGS. Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, JESSIE C. BR'onIE. 

